Car-coupling



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(No Model.)

- I. KLING. .l GAR GOUPLING. 10.409.045 Patented Aug. 13', 1889.

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v2 sheets-sheen 2.

(No Model.)

I. KLING. GAR GOUPLYING. No. 409,045, Patented Aug. 1.3, 1889. q

UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

ISAAO KLING, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

cAR-oouPLlNe.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,045, dated August 13, 1889. Application filed May 29, 1889. Serial No. 312,561. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC KLING, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification, in which Figure l is a plan view of my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional View through the same, looking toward the hook. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the same, showing the hook and lockin g-tumbler in plan view. Fig. et is an end view of a car7 showing the coupler and the uncoupling devices. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the locking-tumbler liftin g-key.

Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views showing the hook-hinge. 'Figs 8 and 9 are detail views of the uncoupling devices. Fig. l0 is a bottom view of the hook. Fig. 1l is a top view of the lower hinge-ear. Fig. l2 is a detail view of the hook-hinge.

This invention is an improvement in twinjaw couplings for cars, wherein a swinging hook or jaw is `pivoted within or beside the mouth of the draw-bar and has an arm adapted to enter the draw-bar and engage a locking device therein to hold the hook when coupled; and the objects of my present in'- vention are to improve the construction of the parts, whereby a very short arm will be sufiicient to lock the hook, thus enabling the hook to be swung out of the way and retained so when it is desired to couple the draw-bar to a link-and-pin coupling; to relieve the hinge-pin of the hook from strain when the cars are forcibly run together in the coupling operation; to simplify the locking device and insure its positive action, and also to utilize said device in automatically coupling with a link and pin, and to so hinge the hook on the draw-bar that it will automatically swing open when the locking device is released.

The invention consists lin the novel construction of the coupling-hook, the lockingtumbler and its hinge, and in certain other novel details of const-ruction and arrangement of parts, whereby the foregoing objects are eifected, all of which will be hereinafter clearlydescribed and claimed.

Referring by letters to the drawings, A designates a draw-bar, having a curved guidearm B on one side of its mouth and an offset outwardly-extending pair of ears O C on the opposite side of its mouth,beingin plan View similar to the ordinary form of draw-bars of the twin-jaw type.

I) designates the swinging hook, having the curved engaging portion d, and a shank E, which lies between ears C C of the draw-bar and is hinged thereto by a pin F, passing vertically through openings in said ears and shank, so that the hook can swing laterally. The lower ear O has a notch cin its upper face at the side of the draw-bar and a shoulder c in its front face,and C indicates an inclined or cutaway portion leading from shoulder c to' the mouth of the draw-bar, as shown.

e designates a depending lug or incline formed atthe junction of portion d and shank E at the lower inner face of the hook, and e designates a short stud on the lower face of shank E, adapted to engage shoulder c or notch c.

Vhen the coupling-hook is in engaging position, stud c engages shoulder c and prevents it swinging farther open, and the inoline e engages with incline C or the front edge of the draw-bar, and when the hook is turned inward causes the same to ride upward, as is evident from the drawings.

lVhen the locking devices are disengaged from the hook, the latter will swing open by gravity, owing to said incline, until itis stopped by stud c abutting against shoulder c. By lifting the hook sufciently to disengage said shoulder it can be swung backward until the stud engages notch c, as indicated in Fig. l, in which position the portion d is out of the way, and the draw-bar can be readily connected to a link-and-pin coupling without danger of the bumpers striking and injuring the hook. An annular collar E2 is formed on top of shank E and enters an annular recess C2 in the upper ear C, and in part relieves pin F from draft strain when the hook is coupled.

G designates an angular oset on the inner IOO face of shank E and about at right angles to portion d, as shown, said offset being formed at the point where the arm is usually connected to the shank in this class of couplers.

1I designates a short tooth projecting from the corner of offset G at about right angles to portion D, said tooth being lower than the offset in height, and the offset Ais cutaway, as at g, above the tooth. \\'hen the hookis turned inward, tooth His caused to enter a shouldered reeess 71 in the side wall of the drawbar, as shown in Fig. 3, and when the hook is pushed inward the tooth engages the recess and relieves the pin from strain, preventing its being bent by backward pressure on the hook. 7L is astrengthening-web between the tooth and offset.

I represents a locking-tumbler pivoted in the throat of the draw-bar in rear of the pinopenings a d upon a transverse rod t, as shown, so that it can vibrate or rock freely. rlhe rod passes through the rear end of the tumbler, so that its forward end falls by gravity, but is kept out of contact with the fioor of the draw-bai', but in close proximity thereto, by reason of its curved rear end i', which strikes against the roof of the draw-bar and prevents further dropping of the front end of the tumbler without hindering its raising. The roof of the draw-bar is ehambered, as shown, to permit the tumbler to be readily rocked on its pivot and lifted sufficiently topermit the stud g of offset G to pass beneath.

J designates a stud or fin ger proj eeting from the front corner of the tumbler adjoining pin F, said finger extending forward beyond and close to recess 71 as shown, so that when stud Il is in said" recess it will be retained therein andthe hook locked thereby. The finger is rounded on its lower front edge, as shown, to enable stud g to pass readilythereunder, and in so doing liftI the tumbler, which, as soon as the stud passes, drops to its original position, locking the hook by preventin outward turning of the shank. The roof of the draw-bar is ehambered to accommodate the finger .I when the tumbler is lifted, as shown at J2, and the finger when pressed laterally by the stud g, when strain is en the hook, abuts against the shoulder J3 at the side of said recess, as shown in Figs. 7 and 5, thus transferring strain directly to the draw-bar. The roo-f of the draw-bar is also eut away, as at b, to aeeonnnodate the offset G in the closing of the hook, since the latter would otherwise bind against the roof. The front face of the tumbler is rounded and its bot-tom eonvexed, as shown, to bite a link when inserted thereunder. The tumbler lies in such position when down that if a pin K be inserted in the upper opening a it will impinge against the edge of the tumbler and be upheld thereby until the latter is elevated bythe passing of a lilik thereunder, this operation being clearly described in my patent, No. 396,878.

K designates a lifting-key for the tumbler playing through an opening 7c, in the bottom of the draw-bar. This opening is made with diametrieally-opposite channels L I, in its sides, extending entirely through the floor of the draw-bar, and with another pair of diametrically-opposite notches ZZ at its upper end extending partly through the floor of the bar.

M designates a key, having an eye N on its lower end and a pair of dialnetrieally-opposite flanges or ears m m on its upper end. The key is inserted in position by slipping flanged end upward through the opening, its flanges passing through channels L. It is then given a quarter-turn so as to engage its flan ges with notches Z Z. The key is thus pre vented from dropping from the bar. The tumbler is then inserted in the draw-bar, as described, and the key cannot then be lifted suffieiently to disengage its flanges from the notches, as the tumbler would strike the roof of the draw-bar. The eye N of the key is engaged by an arm a on an L-shaped rod O, which is hinged at its bend to suitable straps or supports below the draw-bar, and its arm is connected by a link l) with the short ar1n'p,projecting from a horizontal shaft Q, secured on the front of the ear, as shown, bei ng mounted in brackets R R. The ends of said shaft are bent downward into handles q. By lifting these handles an upward movement is imparted through the connections to key K, and the tumbler is thus disengaged from the hook.

In order to keep the hook uncoupled when the cars are being shifted, I may allow shaft Q a certain amount of longitudinal play in its bearings and provide each bracket with an offset lug Las shown, upon. which handles q may be supported, as indicated in the drawings, thus upholding the rod and key; or in place of lugs fr, I might employ the pivoted blocks S, which have enlarged ends s, and are secured by screws s beside handles q, and when one of the latter is lifted the block can be turned thereunder to uphold it, the weight of the handle being sufficient to retain the block in this position until the handle 'is again lifted, when the block will drop to one side by gravity, permitting the parts to return to their normal position and be ready for coup ling. In order to permit thehook to be swung backward out of the way when coupling to a link, I cutaway the corners of portion (l adjoining the shank, as shown at E2.

In some instances, if a close fit is made between the pin F and shank E, the hook in opening bites the pin and does not properly descend, and in order to prevent this I may employ the device shown more clearly in Fi l and l2. In this a smaller opening j is made in the upper ear C beside the hinge-pin, and in this openingashort bolt f is placed, which rests upon the top of shank E or its annular collar, and is retained by the head of pin F, as shown. Then, when the hook is closed, bolt f is raised by the shank, and in turn lifts pin F, so that when released, even if the hook bites the pin, it will properly open, as

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the pin and hook will drop down together. This is useful where a close fit is made between the pin and shank; but by making pin F fit loosely bolt f -could be dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a car-coupling, the combination of the swinging hook formed with a shank upon which is a tooth, substantially as described,

1o with a tumbler pivoted in the throat of the :o and a pivoted locking-tumbler engaging said tooth, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the draw-bar, and the swinging hook hinged thereto and having a tooth on its shank adapted to enter the throat of the draw-bar when the hook is closed with a locking-tumbler pivoted in the throat of the draw-bar and having a forwardly-projecting finger adapted to engage said tooth, and the 3o key for lifting said tumbler passing through the bottom of the draw-bar, substantially as and for lthe purpose specified.

4. The combination of the draw-bar having a pair of ears at one side, the lower one `of which is notched on its upper face and the upper one annularly recessed, with a swinging hook having a shank hinged between said ears, said shank having a depending stud e adapted to engage the notches in the lower lio ear, and a beveled lug e on its lower edge,

and an annular collar on its upper end engaging the recess in the upper ear, and an offset G, 'all substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the draw-bar having a channeled and notched opening in its floor, substantially as described, and a tumbier pivoted in the throat of the draw-bar above said opening,of a key vplaying through said opening to lift the tumbler, and having 5o side flanges engaging the notches of the opening, all substantially as described.

6. The combination of the draw-bar and swinging hook hinged thereto, substantially as described, with the locking-tumbler for said hook pivoted in the throat of the drawbar and having its rear end upturned, so that it will strike the roof of the draw-bar and prevent the front end of the tumbler resting on the iioor thereof, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the draw-bar having side ears and the swinging hook having a shank hinged between said ears by a headed pin with a bolt playing in an opening in the upper ear beside the pin and confined between the head of the pin and shank, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of the draw-bar, the swinging hook, and the locking-tumbler in said draw-bar with the vertically-movable key playing through the floor of the drawbar and engaging the bottom of said tumbler, the arm engaging said key and mounted on a hinged rod below the draw-bar, and the shaft and link connections for operating said arm to lift the key, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the uncoupling or releasing key and its operating arm and rod below the draw-bar with the horizontal shaft mounted on the front of the car, the handles thereon, and the devices, substantially as described, for sustaining these handles, when properly adjusted, to keep the locking devices released, all substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of the draw-bar, and the swinging hook hinged thereto and having a tooth on its shank adapted to enter the throat of the draw-bar when the hook is closed with al locking-tumbler pivoted in the throat of the draw-bar and having a forwardly-projecting finger adapted to engage said tooth when the hook is closed, and also to engage a shoulder on the roof of the draw-bar to transfer strain to the latter, and the devices for operating said tumbler, all substantially as specified.

ll. The combination of the draw-bar, the swinging hook hinged thereto, having an incline c, and an offset G, provided with a tooth 1I, with the' locking-tumbler pivoted in the throat of the draw-bar having a forwardlyinclined stud J, an upturned end t', and the key for lifting said tumbler, and the operating devices for said key, all constructed and arranged as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I clailn the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC KLING.

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